A tour through Africa’s first medical museum

TheUniversity College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, established on November 20, 1957, is reputed for recording many firsts. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA toured the premier hospital’s Medical Museum, first of its kind in Nigeria and relates her experience.

Museums and galleries are not mere showrooms of antiquated objects. They are living embodiments of cultural and national heritage. The artefacts of history remind one of how a people, society or institution got to where they are now. They capture the evolution of a people. From the simple tools and paintings of prehistory to the dated machinery of the industrial revolution, museums show people the path of human life through the ages by providing actual examples of how we used to live.

People from all walks of life throng the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan on a daily basis for various health reasons. But according to The Nation’s findings, some visits may not be due to health challenges any more. UCH, as it is called by residents of Ibadan and beyond, has become associated with many other activities, including tourism.

As the nation’s premier teaching hospital, the Medical Museum seeks to tell not just the medical history of Nigeria, it offers tourists, especially the youth, the opportunity to go back in time. From the artefacts on display, one could appreciate the giant strides so far made by the medical profession in Nigeria.

The Medical Museum is located within the UCH complex, on the fifth floor of the building that houses the office of the Chief Medical Director of the hospital. Visitors, for now, could only visit the museum on working days, as it is not opened on weekends or public holidays.

To gain access to the museum, a visitor has to first register with the information unit of the hospital. There, a guide will be given to the visitor to take him or her round the museum. The museum is open to individuals and groups.

As with most museums, the items on display are only a small part of the total collection. The floor that houses the Medical Museum is stacked with show glasses with articles of different shades–the replica of the UCH building that houses the admin block, consulting rooms, offices, stethoscopes, surgical saws and even medicine chests which unlock to reveal rows of neatly labelled bottles containing the original compounds. Other fascinating artefacts include medical records displayed in glass desks.

The Medical Museum boasts of bed pans, diagnostic equipments, statues of a doctor, nurse, attendant/registrar all attending to an expectant mother.

A recording of the conversation between the pacts was played. It was enthralling.

Portraits of past chief medical directors, administrators and so on lined the walls of the museum. There are also the statues of the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates of Cos; Dr John Randle; Dr Oguntola Odunbaku Sapara who went about treating his patients in the wards in his traditional garb (agbada); Dr Obadiah Johnson; Dr Osadipe Obada and Dr James Africanus Beale Horton, all standing imposingly in the museum.

According to the widely travelled Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Temitope Alonge, his administration’s decision to establish the museum was hinged on the fact that “one of the most important ways museums and galleries can stimulate you is through inspiration. They awaken both your natural thirst for knowledge and your creativity. They help unlock your hidden potential through their exhibits.

“At 55, I simply collate the medical artefacts so as to inspire visitors to actually broaden their world and mind. A simple collation of these artefacts can prove to be a valuable part of personal growth, especially for students, scholars and intellectuals.

“While historic models are used as the basis of our training, this Medical Museum is geared to those who may have little or no knowledge or interest in history. It is the collection of stories of human achievements, medical and managerial advancements, and inspired leadership that transcend the 55 years of UCH history and remain relevant and powerful till today.

“For instance, the interactive discussions allow us to bring all and sundry to a high degree of relevance to their daily tasks and duties.

The artefacts in the Medical Museum were put in place with funds, donations and bequests from friends of the institute. The museum has no budget for buying items, but, according to the Chief Medical Director, who is also a product of the college, the collection is nonetheless extensive. “The museum is unique in Nigeria, especially in statues and diagnostic equipment. We have a lot of medical artefacts,” Alonge said.